The event marked the production of FOTON’s locally manufactured heavy-duty truck in Thailand. Behind the 1-millionth milestone lies a 20-year evolution of FOTON’s global expansion.

On November 27, 2024, FOTON celebrated the FOTON CP(Thailand) Factory Inauguration and Offline Ceremony of 1 Millionth Export Unit in Bangkok. This milestone event, part of the FOTON Asia-Pacific Partners Conference 2025, was attended by over 400 guests, including Minister Counselor of the People's Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand, Mr. Jiang Wei, Thailand’s Minister of Industry Mr. Akanat Promphan, Secretary General of the Thailand Board of Investment Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, as well as distributors, supply chain partners, industry clients, and media representatives. This achievement not only marks a pivotal moment in FOTON’s global journey but also highlights its transition to in-depth, full-chain international operations after 20 years of strategic internationalization.

The Thailand factory, jointly established by FOTON and Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group), represents FOTON’s commitment to the Asia-Pacific market. Established in 2019, the joint venture combines technological and market strengths to create a robust presence in Thailand’s commercial vehicle market. The partnership aims to position Foton as a top-three commercial vehicle brand in Thailand, serving as a hub to expand into ASEAN and neighboring regions.

With a goal of becoming a global and regional manufacturing center, the Thailand factory spans 37,000 square meters. The facility produces a full range of commercial vehicles, including heavy-duty trucks, light-duty trucks, small trucks, and buses. Additionally, under Thailand’s green and electrification goals, FOTON plans to introduce a comprehensive lineup of new energy commercial vehicles, providing cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions to the region.

The event marked the production of FOTON’s locally manufactured heavy-duty truck in Thailand. Behind the 1-millionth milestone lies a 20-year evolution of FOTON’s global expansion. FOTON’s advanced intelligent manufacturing systems and stringent quality standards have enabled collaborations with global industry leaders such as Cummins, ZF, and CATL. These partnerships have bolstered FOTON’s dual focus on traditional and new energy products, creating a competitive edge with its 'Foton Super Powertrain' system and driving growth in markets across Southeast Asia and Latin America.

FOTON’s global strategy, which emphasizes a dual-path approach of internal combustion engines (ICE) and battery electric vehicles (BEV), has enabled it to lead in the commercial vehicle sector. Since 2003, FOTON has been at the forefront of new energy technology, mastering core “three-electrics” technologies and advancing diverse solutions such as pure electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Its new energy commercial vehicles have achieved full certification under the European WVTA standards and are now present in key markets across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.

In Europe, FOTON’s pure electric trucks have entered markets in Italy, Poland, and Spain, and the company is advancing collaborative electric vehicle projects with Piaggio and IVECO. In Latin America, FOTON has delivered over 1,400 pure electric buses, making Chile a regional leader in electric bus adoption. In Asia-Pacific, FOTON has become a major provider of pure electric buses in Malaysia, including operating the first cross-border electric bus line between Singapore and Malaysia. Elsewhere, its hydrogen and electric buses are operational in markets such as Malta, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, India, and Egypt, serving transit systems and airports.

Through strategic collaborations with global manufacturers and supply chain partners, FOTON is upgrading its “product export” strategy to one of “industrial chain internationalization.” This transformation supports its international growth, reflected in a record 131,000 commercial vehicle exports in 2023—a 49.1% year-on-year increase—making Foton the leading Chinese commercial vehicle exporter for 13 consecutive years.

In Thailand, FOTON has established a robust industrial cluster and plans to expand into other Asia-Pacific markets, including Indonesia and Vietnam. In the Americas, its localization strategy is progressing steadily, with a manufacturing project in Brazil set to begin operations in 2025. Across its global footprint, FOTON prioritizes 'cooperation and win-win' as core principles of its localization strategy, fostering partnerships through equity investments and technology collaborations. To date, FOTON has established 22 localized KD (knock-down) plants worldwide, contributing to local industry development and job creation.

With a focus on 'growth quality' driving 'growth momentum,' FOTON remains committed to its dual-path strategy of traditional and new energy vehicles. Through continuous technological innovation, FOTON aims to deliver high-value, advanced products for its customers. By establishing regional manufacturing hubs, it seeks to position Thailand as a leader in automotive component exports for ASEAN. Guided by its global vision of collaboration and mutual success, FOTON is exploring innovative business models and new partnership opportunities, paving the way for prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and embarking on the journey toward its next million vehicles.